Americans view the family as group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of individual members. The result is that the needs of each individual take priority in the life of the family. In contrast to 【A1】________of many other cultures, the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group, either socially or economically, 【A2】________is it to bring honor to the family name. This is partly because the United States is not an 【A3】________society.
Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies, since equality of opportunity 【A4】________of birth is considered a basic American value. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the family 【A5】________an economic unit because the American family is rarely self-supporting. Relatively few families maintain self-supporting family farms or businesses for more than one 【A6】________. A farmer's son, for example, is very likely to go on to college, leave the family farm, and take an entirely different job in a different location.
The American desire 【A7】________freedom from outside control clearly extends to the family. Americans do not like to have controls placed on 【A8】________by other family members. They want to make independent 【A9】________and not be told what to do by grandparents or uncles or aunts. For example, both American men and women expect to decide what job is best for them as individuals. Indeed, young Americans are encouraged by their families to make such 【A10】________career decisions. What would be best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be best for the individual.
【A1】
that
从后文及该句特点分析可知,空白处应填代词,用来代指the primary responsibility,所以答案为that。
【A2】
nor
上句说到美国家庭成员的主要责任不是去从社会层面或经济层面来团结家庭,下句说到这种现象出现的原因, 所以该空与前一句并列,表达否定,再由后面倒装可知,应填nor。
【A3】
aristocratic
aristocratic 意为“贵族的”。从下一段首句“Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies”可以看出,该空填aristocratic。
【A4】
regardless
前一句谈到家族的姓名和荣誉在美国家庭中是不重要的,那么,平等权在美国社会中是相对比较看重的,所以,该空与of构成regardless of,表示“不管,不顾”。
【A5】
as
后面说到美国家庭很少自给自足,因此该空所在句的意思为美国家庭不把自己看成为一个经济独立体。 as 有“作为”之意,所以填as。
【A6】
generation
在美国家庭中,很少有家庭能继承其家族事业超过一代的。generation世代,代。
【A7】
for
desire与 for搭配,表达“对.......期望”。
【A8】
them
上一句说到美国人期待的自由的范围之广,已经包括家庭,该空所在的句子意为美国人不喜欢被其他的家庭 成员所限制,故该空填them。
【A9】
decisions
承接上句,此句继续谈美国人追求自由的表现,即独立做决定,所以该空填decisions。 make decisions “做决定”。
【A10】
independent
根据上下文,此句说其实,他们的父母也鼓励他们独立地做出一些决定,因此,该空填independent。